Windows 11 · Taskbar

How to hide the taskbar in Windows 11

More screen space, fewer distractions. Windows 11 can auto-hide the taskbar; what it can't do is make it go away for good.

Quick answer

Go to Settings › Personalization › Taskbar › Taskbar behaviors and turn on Automatically hide the taskbar. It comes back when the pointer touches the edge. If you want the taskbar gone for good, with your apps on a dock that also hides, Doca can take its place and restore it when it closes.

Step by step in Windows

Right-click an empty spot on the taskbar and choose Taskbar settings.
Open Taskbar behaviors.
Check Automatically hide the taskbar.

Note: if you moved the taskbar to the top or a side (new in September 2026), Microsoft says auto-hide isn't supported in those positions yet.

Why the taskbar won't hide

An app asking for attention (the icon flashing orange) keeps the taskbar open. Open the app and it hides again.
Notifications and tray icons sometimes do the same. Restarting Windows Explorer (Task Manager › Windows Explorer › Restart) usually fixes it.
Touch: in tablet posture, the taskbar behaves differently.

Hide the taskbar for good, with Doca

Auto-hide still makes the taskbar pop up every time the pointer reaches the bottom. With Doca you choose what to do with it in Settings › Screen & Windows › Windows taskbar: "Leave as is", "Auto-hide taskbar" or "Doca only". With "Doca only", Start, the clock, status icons and the tray (behind the arrow) move to the dock, which can auto-hide too (Automatically hide the dock, on the same page), at the bottom or on the sides.

Doca at the bottom of the screen on Windows 11, with folders, apps and clock, weather and Pomodoro widgets — Doca in place of the taskbar, with Start, the clock and widgets.

If Doca closes, even if it crashes, a watchdog process brings the Windows taskbar right back.

Frequently asked questions

How do I hide the taskbar in Windows 11?

Settings › Personalization › Taskbar › Taskbar behaviors › Automatically hide the taskbar.

Why won't my taskbar hide?

Usually an app asking for attention or a tray icon keeps it open. Open the flashing app or restart Windows Explorer from Task Manager.

Can I auto-hide a side taskbar?

Not with the native taskbar yet: in the top and side positions, auto-hide isn't supported. Doca's dock auto-hides at the bottom and on the sides.

Does the taskbar come back if I close Doca?

Yes. When Doca closes, even if it crashes, a watchdog process restores the taskbar and every window. To remove it, just uninstall it.